ROWLETT – Once upon a time, down a two-lane road, past a field with horses and near an elementary school, a big ol' goose lived in a sparkling, blue pond.

Each morning, the goose saw children laughing and talking while walking to school. Two friendly crossing guards helped the children cross a busy intersection to get to class.

He was intrigued, this curious goose. One day in February he left his pond pals, a duck and a swan, and waddled through the grass, past the large rocks, onto the sidewalk, to the intersection.

The crossing guards, Joan Maddux and Earl Burnett, were surprised to find the goose at their side – and they were concerned. Cars, trucks and school buses zoomed through the intersection. They worried he would get hurt.

But this was a fearless goose.

He joined Joan and Earl day after day after day. He grew fond of Joan and followed her like a duckling after his mother.

When Joan stopped traffic, the goose stopped traffic, too.

When Joan ushered the children through the crosswalk, the goose waddled with them. The children were shocked. It was as if the goose was a third crossing guard.

"Whoa!" said Nathaniel Alvarez, a fifth-grader. "It's not natural to see a goose cross a street."

But, remember, this was a friendly goose, so the children smiled and said "Hello!" as they darted their bikes, scooters and skateboards around him.

The children shared goose tales with their friends, parents and teachers at Keeley Elementary. Some didn't believe it. A goose – a friendly goose – in the middle of the road? It didn't sound real. So they came to see it for themselves.

DMN

Laurieann Dygowski spends some afternoon time with Aggie, the goose that she once cared for at Waterview Park in Rowlett.

One day, the goose got a name. Let's name him Sam, a bus driver said. He named the swan Sally and the duck Georgette.

One morning, not too long ago, the sun stretched into the morning horizon, drizzling the sky with purple, pink, blue and orange. Joan arrived at the pond, and it didn't take long for Sam to spot her. He joined her in the crosswalk, waddling back and forth. Parents waved. "Hi, Mr. Sam!" a girl yelled as she rode by on her bike.

While Sam's a pretty brave goose, he is afraid of big trucks, strange men and dogs. So when a woman walked by with a dog, Sam waddled as fast as he could back to the sparkling blue pond, where Georgette and Sally were waiting.

A few days later, a woman named Laurieann Dygowski walked by the pond. Many years ago, she raised a goose named Aggie, but he disappeared during a storm. She looked and looked for him, but she could never find him.

As she looked out at the pond, she saw Sam. And when she sat down, he approached her. She petted him. He looked and sounded just like Aggie.

It dawned on her: This is the goose I lost! This is the goose who loved to be petted and followed my grandson wherever he went.

Laurieann was relieved to find that her goose, now 16 years old, is alive and living just a mile away.

"I'll leave him over at the pond," she said.

After all, Sam's independent now. And he's bringing smiles to children on their way to school.

"He's doing a good job."

The end.